Is it even worth a recap for this one. More disappointment for the Braves, who just can't seem to win a series to save their life.
We saw this happen the last couple of years, where the offense struggles, so the starting pitching tries to compensate and in the process gets hit harder, which causes the bullpen to falter. Dare I say it's happening again, with Derek Lowe trying to be a little too perfect.
Mark Bowman sums up the game, and Lowe's performance, thusly:
By the time the Yankees concluded their 11-7 victory over the Braves at Turner Field on Thursday night, Lowe had been provided plenty of time to erase some of the sting created by the pounding he'd incurred. But in the midst of a rough three-start stretch, it will be a while before he forgets a night when he was battered for 11 hits over the course of just three-plus innings.
The Braves are a strange and frustrating team. We can pitch two shutouts in a row, where everything goes just about perfectly, then we can have two games like the last two where stuff just falls apart all over the field. Screw a trade, I'm convinced that this team has to prove it can do some consistant winning before we try to add anyone else. One player is not going to turn around the collective funk the Braves sometimes find themselves in.
0 recs | 27 comments
EPIC FAIL
And I’m not talking about the game. Somewhere in the third inning, Chipper Jones lofted a foul ball right behind home plate, and I was in almost perfect position to snag it; I was seated near some older folks who clearly weren’t going to make an attempt to catch it, and had to lean in a little bit to make the snag.
Annndd… it popped out of my hands, and dropped into the tunnel. Epic fail on my part, indeed. Worst part was that I was with this girl I might not mind seeing more of and I totally would’ve tried to show off and given the ball to her, but alas, no avail.
Oh yeah, the game was a fun one, with lots of runs and an almost comeback, but the outcome stank. It was glorious for 15 minutes watching the Yankees fans get quiet and worry when the Braves hung five on them in the 5th, but just a little short. Also blatant rub from Girardi to put in Rivera in the 9th with two outs, up by 4, to pad stats and earn the “save” against scrub hitters. This is why the save stat is such BS nowadays.
royhobbs - June 26, 2009
Ha...
Proof you should bring your glove to the park.
MichaelProcton - June 26, 2009
Ouch
that is an epic fail.
Totally agree on the save stat, more useless than wins these days.
And that game sucked.
Andy Braves Fan - June 26, 2009
You didn’t get the ball and therefore you didn’t get the girl…man, I feel for you.
jug - June 26, 2009
Haha, you were probably around when I made my epic goal to shag a foul ball and present it to the future ex-wife.
royhobbs - June 26, 2009
Aagh.
I thought that shit only happened to me! Good thing is, many women don’t worry about that kind of thing – hopefully this lady is one. Meh, she probably thought just the attempt was adorable. No worries!
Lizziebeth - June 26, 2009
I think every player in baseball has D Lowe figured out
Chief Noc-A-Homa - June 26, 2009
Might be a tad hyperbolic
But this is what you get when you’re essentially a one trick pony, which a lot of sinkerballers are. If the sinker ain’t workin’, its gonna be a long night. Just so happens its been 3 long nights in a row. But by the same token, Lowe did go something like 7-1 down the stretch in Aug / Sept last year with a 2-ish ERA (if those stats turn you on) — so I chalk this up to lack of execution rather than being figured out.
fphjr01 - June 26, 2009
Lowe's no ace
That should be no surprise to anyone. The guy has averaged .541 W/L record his entire career, so the fact that he’s hovering around .500 right now is about right. Most everyone knew what we were getting with Derek Lowe, and that’s someone who will win a little bit, lose just a little bit less, but isn’t going to really dominate anyone on a regular basis, but still capable of gobbling up 180+ innings without a high risk for injury.
royhobbs - June 26, 2009
Braves are toast
The Sawx and Phils figure to stick the fork in the Braves’ season. I look forward to seeing what kind of return we can get from trading Anderson, Norton, Francoeur, Johnson, Diaz, Gonzalez, Soriano, and possibly Escobar. Hopefully we’ll pick up a few young hitters who can actually get on base and hit for power and will be ready for the big leagues next year.
redwards95 - June 26, 2009
I disagree. I think we are going to do well the next 6 games.
Everybody flips out when we lose 2/3 to the Yankees and their trillion dollar payroll.
7 runs will usually win a game, guys.
Chief Noc-A-Homa - June 26, 2009
true
And for all the complaining about the offense, they scored 15 runs in this series. We came away with only one win due to some shaky pitching and defensive lapses, but the outcome could’ve been a lot different.
beeswax - June 26, 2009
Yes!
gramsey712 - June 26, 2009
Our offense has been better this series no doubt.
I just wish our offense, pitching and defense could all show up at once to the same ballpark and in the same game. We’d strike fear in all those we face.
I’m hopeful for the next 2 series.
NCChopper - June 26, 2009
+1
HEYJUDE - June 26, 2009
Why Soriano and Escobar
Our best reliever (and young), and a good starting SS.
By the way, I wouldn’t be surprised if his hip has been partly to blame for his problems last night….
Andy Braves Fan - June 26, 2009
Sori's an FA after this year, and Esco's grating on people with his attitude.
MichaelProcton - June 26, 2009
There was talk of Esco's hip actually being why he missed some plays
if these next few games werent so important im pretty sure diory would be playing
drumzalicious - June 26, 2009
Eh...
I’m not gonna feel too bad for a guy who hurt himself by jumping around like an idiot to warm up for batting.
MichaelProcton - June 26, 2009
i concur
a trade at this point wont do anything. FYF actually trying harder (although I’d rather he learn to take a walk than a first-pitch HR), the bullpen being more consistent, and just general persistent teamwork will go a LOT farther than some guy knocking 25 dongs the next few months.
traphicg - June 26, 2009
Oh, if only...
If only there was a way to combine the offense we saw in this series with great pitching and good defense. We could win games that way!
If there is a silver lining it’s that the Phils keep losing too keeping us only 4 games back.
beeswax - June 26, 2009
The lineup
I would just like to point out that scoring these runs may have been in a result of moving Escobar down in the lineup. The guys can it. Putting him in the 5 hole is a great idea. I look forward to seeing what else this lineup can do with what we have.
dlkinser86 - June 26, 2009
We've got JJ, Javy, and Hanson starting this weekend...
If we can’t Win this series at home, then I’ll be worried.
Chief Noc-A-Homa - June 26, 2009
Halleluja!
Someone else finally sees that the Braves problem isn’t a lack of a right handed power bat.
By the grace of the baseball gods the Braves are still in a position to strike at this point of the season. They have to play better baseball though. I’ve seen high school teams make fewer mental and physical errors than our beloved Bravos.
kalesi - June 26, 2009
this too
If we can play like an MLB team (with waaaaaaay fewer errors and goofball plays)…..
We could be contending right now. The Thillies are offering it to us. And these next 6 games are……….what’s the word?……………….HUGE
Chief Noc-A-Homa - June 26, 2009
Whats crazy is we could be like 2 games out if the last two games hadn’t gone awry.
Cano being hit but not being caught inside the line.
Lowe just . . . not getting hit lol
drumzalicious - June 26, 2009
consistency
is what this team needs more than anything.
well I guess I should clarify because right now they are consistently inconsistent. someone needs to step up and just shake up the team because it is fine if one guy has an off night here and there, but this team collectively is either all on or all off it seems. I mean I guess it is good they are so in tune with each other, but it doesn’t do anything but make a team that hovers around .500 as these guys seemed destined to do despite the fact the division is theirs for the taking.
nuftjedi - June 26, 2009
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